


Home Is In Reality

by Braget



Series: Home [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Bullying, Constructive Criticism Welcome, F/M, Mind Games, Mystery, Passion project, Psychological, Reality Walkers, Supernatural - Freeform, Therapy, Void Dwellers, WIP, experimental writing style, self help
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 20:41:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20570558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Braget/pseuds/Braget
Summary: Willow struggles to come to terms with her lot in life. Everything she believed in for years is coming down around her and she is struggling to stay afloat. Reality was suppose to just be a word and a place to stay grounded. But the more time that passes. The more she finds herself split between two realms.Meanwhile, Nyx just wanted Willow to admit she existed. After months of living on her own and being ignore by everyone around her, she just wanted someone to see her. And when someone finally did. All she gets is three years of a peaceful life and then the one person she trusted the most tries to push her away. Who cares about Reality and the Void when Willow is abandoning her just like her parents did? Why can't Willow seem to understand that there is nowhere else for her and her brothers to go? Willow can't just shove them out of her life. Nyx won't allow it.A story of two girls and their struggles with reality and being wanted.





	1. Willow's Silence

**Author's Note:**

> Willow's Summary:
> 
> Willow Grace Taylor was crazy. It took her years to finally accept that her imaginary friends never really disappeared like the other kids. Unlike them, Willow was just unable to outgrow them and even worse than that, she found herself subconsciously responding to them. Which of course made things worse. Constantly being ridiculed and bullied by her peers, her teachers always looking at her with concern or pity, and watching as her parents struggled to be supportive of her. Willow was exhausted with it all. And then her psychiatrist, Dr. Sanders, came up with the "bright" idea to send her to Lyssa's Home For Mentally Unstable Children. Worse, her mother is in complete agreement. 
> 
> Help, is what they say she'll find there, because everything they've done before to "help" her has worked for the better? Willow's not buying this one bit, but seeing as her life keeps getting considerably worse. Lyssa's might just be the only escape she can get, even if she doesn't want to take it. It's only a matter of time until she gives in. She figures that she might as well just go ahead and pack her bags now since nothing she ever says matters. It's always, "We're only trying to help, Willow." and "You're too young to understand this is what you need."
> 
> So when the inevitable finally happens and Willow stares up at the looming manor with something akin to dread. She is not pleased in the slightest. She supposes that it could be worse. The building looks inviting at the very least and the grounds surrounding it are well kept and generally give off a welcoming feel. Which is quite terrifying when she remembers exactly what this place is, a nut house for people like her. The only reason she decided not to fight this decision more was because she was terrified of going back to her old school. Besides, Willow has a plan.
> 
> It's just her luck that it all went to shreds the moment she met a boy. Galen Ryes Anderson, or Gale as he insist she call him, is somewhere between her worst nightmare and her only hope of understanding just what the hell is going on. Willow's caught in between wanting to ignore him and wanting him to just fix everything. Half of her is elated at the fact that with him by her side she isn't alone anymore. The other half is absolutely sure that she really is crazy even though Gale can see and hear the same people she can.
> 
> Willow has always so desperately wanted to live in reality and be normal like everyone else. Though how is she supposed to remain grounded when she was destined for this looming darkness known as the "Void".

Caramel colored eyes idly took in the pristine white of the office. Her mind full of what felt like static as she forcefully tuned out the voice trying to gain her attention. She slumped back into the beige colored couch, mind whirling in wonder of how it had come to this. She should feel indignant, she knew. But as things were, she already knew that this infuriating topic would resurface at one point or another. It always had, like clockwork, since the first time Dr. Sanders had first brought it forth. Lyssa's Home For Mentally Unstable Children, that one infuriatingly long title rolled back and forth in her mind on repeat. She just couldn't understand where it had all gone wrong or when she had first become "crazy". Well in a sense she knew, but that wasn't the point.

The point was that her psychiatrist thought she would benefit from being shipped to Lyssa's. Well, it was more along the lines of,

"Listen Willow, you've tried dozens of different medications and they never amount to anything for you. This place just might be the answer. It's my belief that attending Lyssa's will help place you onto the right path. Perhaps all you really need is some time away; away from the ridicule and bullying, a place to gather your thoughts, space to breathe. You don't even have to stay there if you feel like it's not helping, but why not give it a chance?"

All said in that semi-patronizing tone. At times like those, Dr. Sander's voice grated on her nerves to the point she felt like screaming. And just how was she supposed to respond to that?

"Well you see Dr. Sanders, I'm looking at you and listening just like always; taking in your oh-so-helpful suggestions and just like with my medications, unfortunately I fear we are treading down the wrong path. You see, none of your input ever helps me. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say that I'm even more crazy than when I first started seeing you at the tender age of eight. So correct me if I'm wrong, but Lyssa's does not sound like the next step forward for my mental help and if you could kindly explain that to my mother then I will be simply overjoyed."

No, she couldn't. So Willow relaxed back into the uncomfortable stiff couch in Dr. Sanders office and pretended she was spacing out with the hope that the subject matter would be dropped. Unconsciously, she drew her hand up to the side of her head and lazily twirled one strand of her wavy blonde hair. Her thoughts drifting back to the first day Dr. Sanders had suggested "attending" Lyssa's and the pamphlet that the woman had given to her mother.

At first her mother had worn a mutual expression of incredulity that matched her daughter's perfectly, but nonetheless she had accepted the pamphlet with a strained smile and a promise to look into it. Her mother wasn't one to lie, doubtful though she was, the older blonde had indeed looked into it and unfortunately for Willow, she had begun to see the merit in the suggestion. Willow could easily remember their original "talk" that declared the first argument of the "Lyssa War", as she liked to call it. Her dad was still trying his best to remain neutral as they continued to clash to gain his allegiance. The negotiations were ongoing and any and all previous treaties had been left untouched. Though perhaps her way of seeing their argument was a tad over dramatic, Willow thought the analogy fit all the same.

It was maddening really and Willow was already crazy as it was or as Dr. Sanders liked to put it, "mentally unwell". For some reason, the woman seemed to think that referring to her crazy like that would soften the blow. It was things like that that made Willow question why she had never contemplated switching to another psychiatrist before. It most likely stemmed from the fact that she'd been seeing Dr. Sanders for eight years now and she wasn't all that open about her feelings in the first place. Just the thought of having to be reanalyzed by someone new was horrifying.

"Will- low... Wi- llow-...Willow?" Dr. Sanders soft questioning voice cuts cleanly through her rolling thoughts. Subconsciously breaking her out of her personal vow of ignorance as she instinctively swivels her head in the older woman's direction. Caramel eyes lock with green, scanning over familiar feature and taking in her crimson pixie cut and annoyingly aristocratic cheek bones. Her cheek bones always manage to make Willow feel uncomfortable, they're just so similar to HER'S that frankly it's unsettling. The teenager swiftly halts that train of thought and instead hums indifferently under her breath in acknowledgement.

Dr. Sanders lets out a sigh at her disinterest and Willow watches as the woman's gaze idly drifts towards her watch before she gives herself a satisfied nod and pins Willow with a contemplative look. The blonde watches on as the doctor flips back a few pages in her notebook before speaking and Willow frowns unhappily at the all too common line of questioning.

"So Willow, it's been a few sessions since you last brought up your friends. Have you seen or spoke to any of them recently?" Sanders questions her. Green eyes stare at her imploringly and Willow does her best to remain relaxed against the couch. Even as the silence drags on Willow does her best to ignore the weighted look being leveled at her.

The blonde manages to somehow keep her face blank. She hates the way Dr. Sanders refers to them as her "friends". As if they weren't the whole reason she was stuck in this mess in the first place. As if her life hadn't started crumbling down around her at the tender age of six. As if they were "real" when they both knew they were most certainly not. The blonde stiffens as the tension coating the room grows even thicker and she feels as if she has slowly started suffocating. Drowning in her own head as her mind churned over things she'd much rather leave untouched.

A sharp clearing of a throat snaps her into focus once more. Caramel eyes lock with green and the doctor once again has her undivided attention despite her reluctance to give it. Willow grimaces as Sanders begins to speak into the silence Willow had left between them. The doctor reshaping her initial inquiry to be more precise, more defined, and much more personal. Willow hates that she knows how these sessions go well enough to know that Sanders is treading into territory she doesn't even want to think about, much less talk about. And it only took the first four words out of Sanders mouth for her to realize it.

"You've explained to me countless times before how you sometimes feel as if you subconsciously respond to them. Let's see,-"

The woman's words break off and a heavy feeling of dread pools in Willow's stomach as she watches the doctor scan the pages laid out in front of her. And then green eyes light up with a triumph Willow wishes she couldn't see. And the dread in her gut cements itself as Sanders presses on in a tone that Willow knows is not meant to be mocking and yet it feels as much anyway.

"-It feels like a habit. Like, from years and years of talking and laughing that my words, my reactions, they just flood out of me without my consent. As if the fact of knowing everything I thought I ever knew and learning it had all been false didn't matter in the slightest. As if I'll never truly be free of them."

Sanders trails off and levels her with another one of her heavy looks. She doesn't need to. Willow's already cringing at the regurgitated words that had once belonged solely to her. Something in her twist sourly with the knowledge that Sanders found that relevant enough to write down. Isn't it bad enough that the woman so easily remembers it at all? Why couldn't Sanders ever remember one of the few things that Willow doesn't regret admitting? She purses her lips and stays quiet in the space of her own confession. Waiting for the doctor to try again when the woman realizes that Willow isn't going to comment.

Perhaps that was her first mistake. Perhaps it was nothing more than a reminder of who she was. It wasn't relevant in the end, because Dr. Sanders refrained from digging at her problems more and instead continued to stare on at her with intense green eyes. And in the space of the silence between them laid the lingering sound of her own confession presented from another woman's lips. And even as Willow tried her best to clear the words away and remain indifferent, her eyes glazed over as memories she would rather remain forgotten sprang forth, triggered by the words still haunting the air and faster than she can focus her mind elsewhere.

Long suppressed memories of a time when she still thought she was normal. A time where she was just any other child with imaginary friends. A time where she didn't care when people criticized her and demanded for her to grow up and leave her only friends behind. If only she had been able to do just that then perhaps she wouldn't be here now. Against her better judgment, her head turns slightly to the left and her eyes soak up what should be empty space on the couch beside her. Instead, Willow spots three figures lounging next to her.

When Willow realized just what she was acknowledging she swiftly tried to turn away, but tensed suddenly at a mocking hateful hiss of, "Coward". The painful truth behind that one word had her eyes flickering in the direction of the voice. Despite her reluctance, warm caramel eyes met with frigid blue and Willow hates the guilt clogging her throat as she watches Nyx give her a sardonic smirk. Unwillingly the memory of their first meeting surges forth.

* * *

Willow smiles brightly as she takes in the playground before her. She sends her mom a questioning look that asks if she can go play now. At her mother's gentle smile and nod of consent she lets go of her hand and takes off. She sends a quick glance over her shoulder so she'll know where her mother ends up and where to find her when it starts getting dark. Turning back around, Willow makes a hasty sprint towards the only unoccupied swing. Her light blue dress fluttering around her legs as she goes. With one last peak over her shoulder to confirm her mom's location, Willow runs head first into something and lands painfully on her side.

The little girl lets out a soft whimper of pain as her small body throbs from the collision. Caramel eyes blinking blearily against the harsh rays of the sun and the ache in her skull. Wearily she pushes herself up with the intention of continuing her trek to her beloved swing. Just as she takes her first step forward an angry high pitched voice interrupts her.

"Just what's your problem, huh?! Running into people and knocking them down without a care in the world. I swear everyone here is the exact same. No one ever cares about us, Dwellers. Why would they when we're not real?!"

Frowning, Willow pivots back around in surprise. She blinks at the girl before her, eyes soaking up her features and cataloging the differences between them. The blonde is pretty sure they're around the same age even if the other is slightly taller than her. She eyes the scowl warping the girl's features and twisting her elegant looks. Willow takes in the aristocratic cheek bones smothered by baby fat, the slight upturn of her noes, and the artful grace of her cupid bow lips. Pouting slightly as she thinks of her own features and her chubby heart shaped face and nowhere near as superior nose. She continues on with her scan, eyeing how the girl's hair looks so soft to her knotted waves and rich with a deep brown almost coffee like coloring that cascades smoothly down her back. When compared to Willow's own bright blonde hair in rustled waves ending at her shoulders, she feels a tad inadequate for some reason. Finally, Willow takes in the other girl's sharp, cold blue eyes that stare at her with contempt.

Before Willow can even get the chance to correct her mistake and apologize, the girl walks past her with her head held high. The blonde tracks her with her eyes before her mouth drops open in shock as the other calmly approaches the swing she'd been eyeing. Without much thought, Willow rushes past her to seize it before she can. The girl adopts a sneer. Her strides never slowing down until she stops right in front of Willow and prevents her from swinging. The other child opens her mouth to spew out something of a rant at Willow,

"I swear you Walkers are the most annoying things on this planet! First, you knock me over and don't even have the common courtesy to say you're sorry, but then you go out of your way to steal my swing! All of you, the rudest people alive, I swear!" The girl huffs out and though her tone conveys anger, Willow can't help but notice how sad her eyes seem.

Guiltily she takes this moment to do just as the girl said she wouldn't. If not because her mother taught her better manners then just to prove this girl wrong.

"It's not like I ran into you on purpose and I am sorry about that. But I was already planning on swinging in the first place so I didn't steal anything. You were just too slow! And what's that stuff about anyway? Dellers? Walkens? What's that mean?" Willow rambles out. She doesn't mean to shout at the other girl, but her head is still hurting from the fall and all of this confusion is just making things worse.

The brunette before her squeaks in surprise and her eyes widen. Willow bites her lip uncertainly at the expression marring the others' face. She doesn't like the way she looks at her as if she's never seen anything like her before. Like Willow is something else entirely and she isn't real and must be a figment of her imagination. All too fast, the girl clears her throat and blinks. Once more her expression returns to neutral. She stick her hand out in greeting and waits for Willow to grab it. Warily, the blonde grasps the hand before her and looks questionably up into sapphire eyes. With a firm shake from the other girl and a soft introduction. Willow makes a new friend,

"It's Dwellers and-. Forget it. I was just rambling. I'm Nyx by the way. And you are?" Nyx asks her.

The blonde blinks at the abrupt change in attitude, stumbling over her words in surprise, "Oh, um. I- Well, I'm Willow. I mean- Um. I'm Willow, Willow Grace Taylor and I- It's- Well, it's great to meet you, Nyx! Let's- I mean- Do you want to be friends? I promise we can take turns on the swing!"

She blushes at her messy introduction, but as Nyx nods her head with a tentative smile. Willow's whole face erupts into a wide beaming grin.

* * *

The soft sound of an alarm snaps her out of the foggy haze of her memory. Breaking Willow out of the spell she'd been cast under. Somewhere in the back of her head she registers the sound as the alarm Dr. Sanders uses to know when the allotted time per appointment is up. She blinks her eyes a few times to reorient herself. When the sound fully registers, Willow stands from her seat and with a tight lipped smile finally replies to Sanders, "I apologize, Dr. Sanders, I've been a bit tired recently. To answer your question, no. I haven't seen or heard from them in quite some time. Who knows, maybe I'm getting better. Anyway, thanks for listening, but I'm sure you have other patients to get to. See you next week!"

Before Sanders can respond, Willow rushes out the door and back towards the waiting room. Eyes scanning over it until she comes across her mother. Willow stiffly makes her way over to her and announces the end of her appointment and watches as her mom walks over to the counter to pay. With that wrapped up they continue out through the door and into her mother's car.

The ride home is blissfully silent or it was after Willow ignored all of the attempts her mother made at conversation. She leans her head on the cool glass of the window and let's the soft music playing from the speakers flow over her. Her eyes lazily observing the familiar scenes flashing past the window as they drive home whilst her mind analyzes every word Dr. Sanders had spoken whilst the blonde had put on her facade of "spacing out". Finally, after what seems like an eternity they pull into the driveway. Willow is unbuckled and out of the car before her mother can even pull the keys from the ignition. She races her way into her house and to her room. Flipping on the lights and locking her door, Willow face plants onto her bed and tries to forget just how messed up her head really is. Unfortunately for Willow, THEY won't let her forget.

"Really Willow, lying now are we? I thought you were more honorable then that. Though I suppose I should have known better. I mean, you lied to us too, didn't you? Let's stay friends forever? Ha! Yeah right." Nyx's voice washes over her and send the room into an uncomfortable silence.

Willow keeps quiet even as the urge to respond surges within her. She takes a deep breath to center herself and mumbles into her pillow in an attempt to ignore her. Though it seems that Nyx is unsatisfied with her lack of response since in the next moment the other girl continues speaking.

"Well, even if you don't want us around anymore then that's just too bad. I'm not letting you go, Willow Grace Taylor. If not for ignoring me just like all of your kind than for betraying me with your lies!" Nyx stresses out. The tone of her voice forced and practically broadcasting how betrayed she feels. And even as Willow tries to ignore it; guilt still bubbles up inside of her at the sound of it. Why did one of her crazy figments have to be so childish? It made so hard to forget about THEM.

Willow forcefully pushes down the urge to apologize and squeezes her eyes shut. Like a mantra, her mind repeats over and over that the three people watching her aren't real. As her heart begins to steady and she feels herself start falling further into the dream realm, Willow can't stop that small stubborn part of her that still isn't sure if they aren't real after all.


	2. Nyx And Surviving At All Cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx's Summary:
> 
> Nyx is fed up with her life and all of these people who can't seem to see her when she's standing right in front of them. Going from being ignored to just out right abandoned has definitely messed with her psych in some ways, she knows this. At this point though, she doesn't have it in her to care anymore. All that changed within four months when she first met Willow. She had at first assumed the girl was just like everyone else. She knows how wrong she was about that now. Willow gave her a friend and led her to a family and suddenly for first time in forever Nyx feels wanted and content in her life.
> 
> Then Willow just has to go and ruin it all by trying to abandon her just like her own parents did. Well that's not going to happen, not on Nyx's watch. She and her brothers will show this little upstart just what the world is really like. That and that just because she ignores them, it doesn't mean that they aren't there. Willow was supposed to be different and there is no way Nyx will allow her to become like the rest of her kind. It's her job as a best friend to set her straight.
> 
> Even if doing so destroys everything else while she's at it.

She was alone again. It wasn't anything new to her as she was usually left to her own devices. This time though, as her deep blue eyes so vastly conveying her fears scan through the mass of bodies bumbling about the main shopping district of Eris, her heart sinks into her stomach. Frantically, the young child scours the crowds in search of the familiar features of either of her parents. The dread pooling in her stomach expands as time continues to pass and yet neither make an appearance. Slowly, oh so slowly, she begins to meander her way through the throngs of people. Stumbling about as her small body is bumped and knocked around by those in a hurry. The brunette blinks away the tears surging into her eyes as she fruitlessly struggles to find her parents.

Nyx knows her mother told her to wait for them at the corner store, but that had been hours ago and yet they have not returned. Even at her young age of five she is not surprised. Scared? Yes, but surprised, no. How could she be when she was forced to grow up too fast in order to survive. Her parents had never cared and went out of their way to avoid and ignore her. It's a miracle she even lived long enough to learn how to take care of herself.

Softly at first, she begins calling out to them. Though gradually her cries become louder and more panicked and before she even realizes it; she's running through the crowd in desperation. Her too big T-shirt and ratty fraying-at-the-hems shorts flutter behind her with the movement of her body. Her scuffed sneakers pound against the pavement as her hair whips along behind her. Eyes growing more and more unfocused as the tears she kept at bay finally break free and the dam flows. Her shoe catches on something and her small body takes flight for a few terrifying seconds until she hits pavement. Someone carelessly steps on her left hand as she struggles to stand in the roaring bustle of people. With a whimper, Nyx, finally manages to stumble her way back to the side lines and straight into the path of another human being.

A large meaty hand grasps her frail shoulder and her head snaps up to meet the concerned face of a man in uniform. An Enforcer or the Void equivalent of a Reality police officer. Panic seizes her as some of the few memories she has of her parents actually speaking with her surge up.

"Now listen Nyx, if you ever run into anyone in an uniform like this-" her mother's voice drifted through her mind like a distant memory. Her blue eyes glazed over as she finds herself caught within it's grasp, watching as her mother held out a picture of a group of people for her to see. Every single one of them were encased from head to toe in a black ensemble. With their black button up shirts meeting black slacks and shiny black shoes peaking out from beneath them. Over their shirts they wore a black jacket that held the only hint of color besides their hair and eyes. In bold yellow lettering stitched horizontally down the sides of each sleeve she read one word, "ENFORCER". And there peeking out from a few of their jackets was a weapon holster.

Nyx observed the people in the photo diligently. Young intelligent eyes absorbing their stern expressions and intimating posture as they stood side by side. She remembers asking her mother who they were and why they looked so scary. Her mother had brushed off her questions with a stern look and then continued speaking as if she had never paused to allow Nyx the time to study the photograph she was holding, "-then you remember to keep quiet and do whatever you can to get away from them as fast as possible. Do you understand me, child?"

Her mother's voice had been serious, though there was never a time where it wasn't, and her face had warned her daughter not to do otherwise. Nyx had nodded her head like the good, obedient child she was meant to be and her mother had stood up from her crouched position and left the room to do other things. Leaving Nyx alone with questions still buzzing around her head.

And so Nyx did as her mother told her to. Before the man can even open his mouth and talk to her, Nyx slams her small foot down onto his larger one as hard as she can. The Enforcer's hand releases her as his face shifts first to shock and later to annoyance followed by anger. But Nyx is already running as fast as her legs can take her as she weaves back into the crowd and uses her smaller size to her advantage. Vaguely, she can hear someone shouting after her and a quick glance behind her shows the fearful faces of those surrounding her as they quickly part and scramble out of the man's way. Fear grips at her as she swings her head back around and frantically searches for a way to escape. A snug, darkened alley path enters her vision and she takes a sharp right towards it. The man behind her is too muscled to fit through and though she knows not where it will lead or even if it will lead her anywhere at all; it is her only hope of evading her one pursuer.

Nyx dives into the darkness with the shouts of a man now out for blood behind her. She lets her feet carry her onward as the world around her blurs. On and on until she stumbles her way out of the bustling city and into a long deserted area fenced off and scattered with signs claiming "CONTAMINATED BY REALITY". She ducks under a hole in the chain length fence and scurries to not necessarily safety, but as close as she can get at the moment. Nyx picks a deteriorated building that looks as if it's on it's last leg; door missing, windows busted, and overgrown with wildlife. She runs up cracked stairs and inside where she finally allows herself to collapse. Hidden in a darkened corner covered by debris, Nyx closes her eyes and pants for breath. In her head she prays for safety, to whom her prayer goes to, she wouldn't be able to say. Dwellers aren't supposed to believe in the ideals of Reality.

* * *

A throbbing pain encasing her left hand brought awareness rushing back into her. Nyx is unable to stifle her sob as the earlier events from the day rush back into her and leave her gasping for air as if she were drowning. She hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep. Carefully, the young child maneuvers herself back into a sitting position from where she had been laying on the ground hidden from sight by a few stray boards. Nyx does not remember laying down either.

Swallowing back her cries, the brunette examines her hand closely and forcefully represses her pain as she slowly moves her fingers. She doesn't think any have broken or at least she hopes not. Nyx is not a doctor. She is only a child of a mere five years of age. Here and now she was alone and though she is still young, Nyx knows better then to return to Eris. Traversing back into the main streets after fleeing from an Enforcer is not the smartest move she could make. The young Dweller frowns at this thought and looks up to get a more thorough inspection of her current residence.

Her eyes meticulously scan her new environment. It does not take her long for an idea of where exactly she is to appear. Within minutes of glancing around; her ears pick up on the distant, soft sounds of children. She remembers overhearing her parents speak of this place. Nyx doesn't remember what they used to call it. Not that it's name matters anymore. Any land labeled as "CONTAMINATED BY REALITY" soon becomes irrelevant and nameless to the Void. There is no reason for any Dweller to return here now when it is nothing. Nothing but an abandoned dream that held her parents' ire for months after it was discarded.

She doesn't recall all of the details, but if she remembers right then this place had been the start of a new residential area on the outskirts of Eris. Something about an Enforcer missing the signs of a Level Two threat and having to evacuate the workers and shut down the projects. Her parents had been most upset when they had found out. Both of them had been eagerly searching for an easy path out of the central district that wasn't too far as to cause them problems with their jobs. Her mother had ranted for hours to her father about how the project had been canceled "all because of some Reality playground". Her voice had been so full of disgust that Nyx had made a rather hasty retreat after that. She was not eager to be caught listening. Of course she could be wrong. For all she knew this place could be something else entirely. Though the sounds of kids in the distance has her doubting that to be the case.

She ran much further than she thought and yet it felt like it was nowhere near far enough. The primary shopping district was already on the outskirts as it was. At the very least she can relax at the knowledge that she had ran away from the central part of the city. Going further in would have done her no favors. Eris was, after all, the main capital of the Void. The young Dweller is broken from her musing as her stomach wails in hunger. Her eyes turn towards the shattered windows and hone in on the horizon. Nyx isn't sure what the exact time is but she knows from the soft glow of oranges and pinks splaying across the sky that soon night will fall. Her lower lip trembles at the thought of going hungry and yet she can not bring herself to go back into the city she has just escaped.

It only takes a few minutes for her to come to a decision. Whether that decision can be classified as good or bad only time will tell. The brunette takes a few steadying breaths as she thinks things through. Even though it hurts her to admit it, Nyx knows that her parents aren't looking for her. Both of them had never bothered to do things without reason. They had never been all that fond of her to begin with and it would not be the first time something like this had happened.

She can faintly recall her mother dropping her off in an orphanage when she was three. Nyx hadn't seen either of her parents for two months. Idly, she wonders if the guilt had gnawed at them since soon after her fourth birthday her father had come and retrieved her. She remembers the look on her mother's face when he had brought her back home and there was no way Nyx could ever forget the argument that had followed afterwards. Nor the few times she had heard them talk about just leaving her somewhere. She wonders if they thought leaving her by the corner store would be easier. Maybe this way neither of them would be aware of what happened to her and even if they came to regret it latter, they wouldn't have been able to just go there and pick her back up. It wasn't as if Nyx could have just stayed there forever.

And so comes her decision. For now until she can think of something better. This place with no name will be her home. An odd feeling of relief goes through her at the decision. It's not as if her parents had ever physically harmed her. It was just the knowledge of the fact that she had never been wanted. Nyx had learned to do things for herself early on since her parents never did them for her. How hard could it really be? Other than the fact that she will most definitely be breaking two of the most highest laws of the Void. The first being entering a zone influenced by Reality. Only Enforcers have the clearance to enter a place that has been contaminated. The other being even worse. For the first time in her life, Nyx is going to traverse into the Reality Walkers' domain.

If she has learned anything at all about Walkers from the sparse bits here and there she has picked up from her parents and her people. Then she has a much better chance of remaining undiscovered in their domain than her own. Nyx has heard about Walkers stumbling into Void domains before though she herself has never met one. If her information is in anyway correct then the Walkers should not be able to see her and therefore she will not be questioned about why she is alone. All she has to do is wait for night to fully settle and the remaining voices in the distance to completely sputter out.

Only then she will make her move. If the Walkers truly can't see her then it should be a simple matter of just swiping some food from somewhere. The only thing she needs to worry about is if the food she grabs will float in mid air for the Walkers or if they will not even notice it and it will just go missing instead. That and if she can even get that far before the Enforcer chasing her finds her.

As she leans back against the dust covered wall and cradles her left hand to her chest; Nyx hopes that soon the Enforcer will give up on her or even better, just forget all about her. Because if there is one thing her father had drilled into her head. It was the laws that she should never endeavor to cross. If an Enforcer finds her outside of their domain and interacting with Reality. Then she will be considered a traitor to the Void for attempting to integrate herself into Reality. Execution is not something she strives for at her tender age of five.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confused yet? I hope not. Hopefully posting the first two chapters together will give everyone a better idea of what I'm trying to accomplish here. Let me know if it's working or not.

**Author's Note:**

> Right, so this is a novel I am currently writing and I'd like some input on how it flows and whether or not my idea is coming across well. I'm also using this to challenge my writing as the way I'm writing this vastly differs from how I would normally. Every chapter swaps point of view, between Willow and Nyx, and I'd like to know if that is working well or making things come across as choppy. What I want to know the most is whether I should separate Willow and Nyx's stories or keep the intermingled.
> 
> I can't promise frequent updates, because I am currently struggling with this story. I am hugely invested in my characters and ideas, but I'm much too critical of my own work and find myself constantly revising completed chapter instead of writing new ones.
> 
> I will say that I have 13 chapters done, though whether or not I revise them a millions times before I post them is for me to know. Also, I have planned out 36-37 chapters or so for this book. That and this book is a part of a series I have laid out in excruciating detail. So don't worry about me abandoning this story. I am way too invested for that.


End file.
